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The last show I had seen was the Cannibal Corpse/ Dying Fetus tour back in December 2006 with Sushant and it was quiet an eventful night. We had come very close to getting a DUI or a Public Intoxication charge. Memories.
I had contemplated watching many shows in between this period but some how it never did happen. Last Monday Charles, Sushant and I headed out to lower Green Ville in Dallas to watch what would be my first night to watch a Metal gig in almost two years.
Let me tell you why this gig was special.
First, I had not been out just as my old self in quiet a while. Put on my favorite attire (an old Band T-shirt and Jeans) and caring less about the rest of my life. Obligated to have a good time and listening to the music that shapes my persona.
Lastly, the front man of Soulfly is Max Cavalera. The front man of the old Thrash /Speed/Death Metal band Sepultura. As a teenager my choice of music was Metal and now it governs my ideologies. One particular band that had a very radical impact on me growing up was “Sepultura”. A Brazilian band that became world renowned singing songs of frustration, political injustice and just the misfortune of being born in a third world country. It reflected what I felt and I could relate to the music they played like it was meant for me. In particular the album “Arise” stands out due to the fact that it was the first record I had heard from the band Sepultura. Every time there was a riot in the streets of Kathmandu I had a severe urge to crank up “Refuse/Resist” on my stereo. I had a poster of the band on my wall that I used to pride upon and emulate Max to the snap shot. I loved to wear camouflage trousers and when I had an opportunity to get on stage with my old college band we belted out half of the “Arise” record. It was almost relevant to the time and events that surrounded us as young adults.
I got to see my idol up close and alive.
Tracklist:
1. Inflikted
2. Sanctuary
3. Terrorize
4. Black Ark
5. Ultra-Violent
6. Hex
7. The Doom Of All Fires
8. Bloodbrawl
9. Nevertrust
10. Hearts Of Darkness
11. Must Kill
Playtime: 42:29
Line Up:
Rhythem/ Vocals :Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly, Nailbomb)
Drums: Igor Cavalera (Sepultura)
Lead Guitar :Marc Rizzo (Soulfly)
Bass :Joe Duplantier (Gojira )
Max Cavalera and the rest of Sepultura has always had a special spot in my metal heart. I enjoyed Nailbomb and Soulfly had its moments – was a delight watching them live. Never really followed Sepultura material after Max left the band. What brought the two inconsolable brothers together was a Dana Tribute show (Dana is Max’s slain stepson). Max is somebody that i consider a true artist from the soul and within ,he seems to glow when Igor takes the drums to back him up. Soulfly did not possess that charm that this outfit does. Max sums it up as … “I’m crazy. I used to drink. I talk. He is quiet. He (Igor) has never drunk before. It’s this weird combo that becomes lethal together. You either like it or hate it, but you can’t ignore it. We’re like a bomb.”
Rex Brown from Pantera and Down cameos on bass on one track, and another track features a collaboration with Max, Gloria and Max’s stepson Richie Cavalera (of Incite) on vocals. Lets take this the way i like to do it Song by song ..
Inflickted : The intro to this song kinda reminds me of ” Prophecy ” and lyrically Max will always be Max, a rebellious profanity-ridden poet. The song takes a melodic turn at 1.22 and rest of the song is a little drag lyrically. Rizzo’s solo keeps things alive and the “Nobody move, Nobody gets hurt” chorus kinda sums up the theme of the song.
Sanctuary : Now this is what i have been waiting for, out and out thrash song just like the old days. Almost sounds like something out of “Arise” . Awsome riffs and the solo at 1.45 will take any Sepultura fan into nostalgia. Some seriously clean thrash drumming and the portion from 1.08 to 2.34 is to kill for. I have been repeatedly looping it and head banging to it as i write this. This is one of the best tracks from the album.
Terrorize : The drum intro to this is almost SAMBAish. But be not fooled for Cavaleras are Conspiring! This is another thrash delight. One thing very noticeable is the use of short and powerful solos through out the album. Love Max’s vocal , always have but his distinct and death-ish growls are his trademarks. It has a old school feel to it and the band dedicates this song appropriately to Jesse Pintado of Terrorizer and Napalm Death.
Black Ark: The intro is all out Soulfly but the song is a sweet reminder to what the Caveleras are capable of doing if they put their heads together. This album progresses in quality as the tracks move on. You can notice a third Cavalera in the line up -Ritchie Cavalera ( Max’s Stepson) and the dude is surely following the footsteps of his dad and uncle. Max’s vocals on this song is off the hook, I love his clean cut growls. Sick bastard and that slight accent makes it even more joyous to hear. The solo on this track is phenomenal , very unique and uncharacteristic, overall a unique and powerful song.
Ultra-Violent : This song was co-written by Joe Duplantier (Gojira ) and the riff just gives it away. You can hear Joe Duplantier’s presence all over this song. If you have heard Gojira material you will know what i am talking about- that distinct Gojira groove. Song turns a lot more thrashier later and again i have to highlight the powerful short solos by Rizzo. And if you wanna crush your soul for under a minute turn the volume up after 3.12 and kill something. I would love to find out what part Rex Brown (Pantera) played on this track because it only says he did a cameo.
Hex : I’m telling you this album gets better by the song . Hex is another delight for the old-school Sepultura fan with ball-crushing speed and immaculate execution of pure trash.
The Doom Of All Fires : Rizzo has pleasantly surprised me in this album. This is another well composed thrash songs.Nothing exquisite about it but its a good song overall. But Igor’s Kick drums and furiously fast hands along with some killer solos make it appreciable.
Bloodbrawl : Groovy catchy Soulfly-ish song. Again and again the solos are sweet, to the point and not overly fabricated. The outro is another pleasant surprise, melodic-acoustic- tribal-ish just proving the array of musicianship that went into this record.
Nevertrust : Lyrically this is the best song in the record, though it is just a list of things Max hates, most of the metal-heads will agree. Let me highlight the lyrics:
nevertrust – the emo kids…
nevertrust – the sellouts
nevertrust – in jihad
nevertrust – the cowboy
nevertrust – the redneck
nevertrust – the fall out boy
nevertrust – their fake asses
Just the genius of Max. Song wise its a Punkish-thrash song basically revolving around the lyrics. Killer outro solo.
Hearts Of Darkness : Loved the galloping intro-riff. Rizzo at this point is starting to remind me of Marty Friedman and his work on Rust in Peace. Not as elaborated as Marty yet very crafted and accurate. That almost classical sounding pitch. A fast paced song just another delight out of the Inflikted Package.
Must Kill : Nothing extraordinary about the song over the facts i have already mentioned but it sure is not boring at any point. Has a Chaos AD sound to it. And to my ultimate hilarity …..Oh my fuckin’ god….the oh so famous distinction of Max -The HOLY- ” Un..Dos…tres…quatr” before the final breakdown riffs.
For a fan of good old thrash music coupled with a touch of modern ingenuity , Inflikted stands as a proof of the very existence of Heavy music in this industry full of imposters. The so called “Purists” will disagree and they they can shove what ever purity they are talking about up their asses, but its 2008 and the time stamp will influence the art. When i listen to “Bestial Devastation” or Morbid Vision” it automatically registers in my head as a classic because it was ‘then’ when things were not as advanced as it is today and it was relevantly heavy ‘then’ and thus, those records made history. You still find that purity of making a genuinely heavy metal record in “Inflikted”. It may not be the best but surely is a pillar that keeps heavy music alive. Fans will drag ticks-taks from here and there based upon the history of the line up or have presumed biases but boy it sure was a delightful 42 minutes of heavy music to me.
Rating : 4.5/5
- “Coil” – 3:10
- “Heir Apparent” – 8:50
- “The Lotus Eater” – 8:50
- “Burden” – 7:41
- “Porcelain Heart” (Åkerfeldt, Åkesson) – 8:00
- “Hessian Peel” – 11:25
- “Hex Omega” – 7:00
Having a band that you adore so close to your heart is like having kids; you end up expecting way too much from them. I cannot see how one can follow up with two classics like ‘Blackwater Park’ and ‘Ghost Reveries’. When I went to see Opeth in 2005 I had only heard ‘Still Life’ and ‘Blackwater Park’ and admired them as a group. But when I heard ‘Ghost of Perdition’ played live my jaw dropped to the floor. I remember they closed the show with “Atonement” and that eerie melody has haunted me since. It hit the sustain button in my head and I could not get that melody line out of my head. Every time I put that song on, I feel like my skin is indeed pealing off and I am disintegrating.
I mentioned all this to illuminate the kind of mastery I am expecting as an Opeth fan from their new album “Watershed”.
From the get go I have a bad taste in me with the name “Watershed” which sound very cliché but I am not trying to be so hypercritical, so quickly.
Coil - A new taste to Opethic sound with the presence of female vocals. I kind of wondered at times if Opeth would use such diversity in the days to come and they did right here. And I am concluding it’s an ‘alright’ thing. The first song sort of sounds like some old Opeth song or a Lacuna Coil song. Next.
Heir Apparent – If it was not for the low keyed slow melodies in between this song reminds me of Emperor for some reason. I think Mikael Åkerfeldt has worked with Ihsahn from Emperor and may be the veteran of the art influenced Mikael. This track is what keeps the hope alive, heavy –melodic- great solos and overall a very well composed song. The solo at 4.52 has a Pink Floydish sound to it. Awesome acoustics and at the same time killer bridging between soft melodies and heavy riffs.
The Lotus Eater – Do not let the title of the song fool you. Even though the track starts with a creepy whine of some sorts it lunges into a fast paced melodic song. The vocal on Opeth songs has always been an awe factor for me. Mikael’s range is phenomenal from deep grunts to the most soothing melodies you will ever hear on one track. This track features new vocal styles with layers of backing vocals and some unheard of effects and voiceovers on the outro. The likable thing about any Opeth song is its experimentations and progressions and at 5.49 this songs takes a Jazzy sound all of a sudden. Per Wiberg’s key work is unique on this record, almost jazzy and at times bluesy. I can see this track sinking in me slowly.
Burden – Notice the key work on this track, it has an old rock n roll sound to it somewhat like what you’d hear on an old Deep Purple record. Not much of a heavy song but the vocals and backing vocals on it are soothing like lullabies. It has a bluesy solo and some noticeable acoustic portions. The outro sounds like its been played on an off tuned guitar and it ends with a weird laughter almost to mock the listener saying ‘I did that on purpose’.
Porcelain Heart – I almost fell asleep and had sever urges to hit the skip button on this song. But since I was reviewing I smoked a cigarette and heard it through. It sounds like a song I already heard on older Opeth records. Next.
Hessian Peel – I wished they had just cut the first 5.30 portion of this song and just started off at 5.30. Its 11.25 minutes of pure boredom. I did not find any remarkable aspects on this song.
Hex Omega- This song has almost a haunting feel to it. A saddening fall into deep depression of some sorts. Even though its another slow song this track sounds more fresh than the previous two. I kind of miss the fact that Martin Lopez is missing in the line up. The whole record lacks that jazzy drumming style of Lopez.
Even though this Record has its moments and its blemishes it does not satisfy to the fullest. I would call this an average record given the kind of work we have seen from Opeth in the last decade. Its missing the creative innovations that is so apparent in older records. A lot of commercial success might be a factor. I cannot stand the fact that this disease creeps into every band that starts off with some finest pieces of music and over time they lose that beginner’s sting, that fresh out of the underground sound. But it’s all a part of the band evolution I assume. I hope Opeth does not turn into ‘some kinda monster’ because with all the line up changes and the front man syndrome creeping in, this band is a jewel to lose to that same old disease.
Rating : 3/5
I had read Samrat Upadhyay’s “Arresting God in Kathmandu” while I was still back home around 2002. One of my friends had lent me the book for a few days and there were people queued behind me to read it. But just so I could pace my reading at my own will I went out and had the entire book photocopied (Sorry Copyright has no significance in Nepal). Something I had picked up and adored while in boarding school was ‘reading’. I grabbed anything and everything I could get my hands on, but, unless you had a really good source like a well outfitted library or an avid reader uncle of some sorts your choices were limited. And I had none.
I was a twenty year old reader and “Arresting God in Kathmandu” was a pleasant surprise. It was a piece of work that lived up to the enthusiasm it had created around itself. Lot of critics (especially Nepali) called it an exploitation of Nepalese culture and society, and some even called it soft porn. I was in my marketing class in Katmandu and Mr. Singh, my favorite teacher that year, denounced me telling me it was a ‘waste of time’, and that I should concentrate on my text books rather. Well he read it in the first place to be able to comment on it. So I jumped on the issue and said so should I stop listening to music, watch movies,television etc? Because they corrupt my mind a little more easily than a book does. He did not dwell on the issue much and continued teaching.
Anything and everything that does not fit into our resolute boundaries of normality we have to pummel on it with all our might. Growing up in Nepal this is very prominent. My parents wanted me to learn English, act intelligent and thus sent me to the best schools they could afford. Thanx to that I turn out to be eager to learn and strongly opinionated, with my own identity and ideologies, and when i expressed them at school or at home i got names like ‘Neta’ and ‘Kuraute’. Similarly, when you grab the book written by probably the first English writer of a Nepali descent you expect certain things and for some of you may be it turned out a little more then you bargained for. How can a ‘sasura’ have an affair with his own ‘buhari’? Samrat writes human stories and human emotions do not follow norms and when those emotions tend to break barriers we ‘hush..hush’ and pull the curtains so the outside world cannot see it.
I seem to defend Samrat’s work and yes, I am an admirer of his work. But “Guru of Love” , the second book I picked up disappointed me to some extent. Merely because it was a little too obvious on its plot. I finished the book just because I started it. It reminds me of the greatly anticipated “Saint Anger” by Metallica, all the hype the movie I had watched about the making of the album had created. How Lars, James, Kirk kept insisting that this album was going back to Metallica’s roots of thrash and speed. But then I heard the album in ten minutes with my finger on the skip button. Not one song could capture my attention. I felt the same way with “Guru of Love” .Maybe I was expecting too much from Samrat and likely his publishers must have insisted that he come up with another best seller because it almost feels like he had rushed through that book. Yes, Samrat indeed created a “monster”.
After a long pause in reading due to life circumstances and other priorities, I rediscovered a zest to read again. The Last book I remember reading was Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë for an English class. Reetu probably ignited that zest, books lying around the apartment and seeing her deeply engrossed in “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom. She had a few others lined up to read after she was done and she wanted to read more and asked me to suggest a few more while she was on the Internet shopping for books. I asked her to pick “Arresting God in Kathmandu” and my eyes fell on “The Royal Ghosts” for $1.75 . Eh…Can’t beat that. Read the whole book in about a week’s span. Killed some major boring hours at work with ease.
Unlike the former two books “The Royal Ghosts” is a lot more grown-up. It kept me flipping through pages with a constant sense of curiosity. Is it going to turn all seductive and spicy? And pleasantly it didn’t (not that I would have gone oh! no she’s getting boned). But Samrat is a brilliant story teller and for those who put him in a different category are not going to like him, period. Let go of your sophisticated literary bias and read this book with just the pure sense of discovering what happens at the end to all the different character that the book creates. Characters that as a Nepali, I can so easily relate to.He explores relationships, some that have names and some that do not have names. We do not know why we feel certain emotions , we just do, and each chapter in this book evolves and dissolves around such relations and emotions. Samrat has a gift of seeing our society from a different vantage point, the point where normalcy is often overshadowed by something as simple as being ‘human’ . How often do we see two ’sautas’ getting along and finding comfort in each other. How often does brotherly love overcome ‘homosexuality’ rather than ’samaj le k bhancha’ phenomenon.Each story is filled with a shimmering fragrance of hope. This rarely is the case in reality but the fragrance of hope sure is sweet to imagine.
The backdrop of the story being in Kathmandu makes it even more personal. I am walking along characters as they walk the streets of Katmandu. I can see myself sitting at the tea shop just watching these characters walk by as Samrat’s voice narrates their story to me within my head.
A movie, a painting, a song, a book… all nothing but a piece of the creator’s mind. It’s easier for me to relate to the art if I look at it from the creator’s perspective, mutually becoming a hand-on-the-chin, “Hmmm..”, moment.
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